1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fastening strap and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fastening strap having specially configured hooks and a pattern printed on at least one band of the fastening strap, and a manufacturing method of the fastening strap.
2. Description of Related Art
The hook-and-loop fastener, or better known by the brand name Velcro, was invented by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, under the inspiration of burrs. The hook-and-loop fastener consists of two layers of fabric, namely a hook side and a loop side. The hook side is a layer of fabric woven with tiny hooks. The loop side is another layer of fabric covered with even smaller and finer loops. When the hook side and the loop side are pressed together, the hooks on the hook side are caught in the loops on the loop side so that the two sides are fastened together.
The hook-and-loop fastener is convenient to use and has found various applications where fastening is desired. In addition, the hook-and-loop fastener can be printed with special marks or patterns to serve esthetic or publicity purposes. A pattern can be printed on the hook-and-loop fastener mainly in two ways, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,464. The first way is to print the pattern on an outer surface of the hook side or the loop side after the two sides are adhered back-to-back together. Alternatively, the pattern is printed on an additional layer of material, which is then bonded with the hook side and the loop side. The first approach is disadvantageous in that the pattern printed on the outer surface of the hook side or the loop side tends to peel off and become unsightly after frequent use of the hook-and-loop fastener. On the other hand, the extra layer of material in the second approach incurs additional production cost.